The present invention relates to a roller mechanism for supporting an appliance or other article on a surface which selectively permits or prevents, as desired, movement of the article along the support surface.
Various types of roller mechanisms have been used to support appliances, such as refrigerators, freezers, and other articles on a floor to permit rolling of the article along the floor. These prior roller mechanisms have generally included one or more wheels rotatably attached to an axle which is fixed to the appliance such that the appliance may only be rolled back and forth along the floor in a straight line. Such roller mechanisms do not allow for lateral movement of the appliance without sliding the roller mechanism along the floor surface. Other roller mechanisms such as casters, having one or more wheels rotatably mounted on a horizontal axle which is rotatable about an offset vertical axis, have also been used. While such casters permit movement in any direction along the support surface, a change in direction of movement will shift the location of the appliance in relation to the caster wheels. This type of motion of the appliance on swivelling casters may be detrimental when opening or closing magnetically latched refrigerator doors. While it is desirable to utilize a roller mechanism which is able to roll in any direction along a floor surface, it is also desirable to be able to selectively inhibit or prevent the roller mechanism from rolling.